EXPERTISE AND CREDIBILITY

Throughout our 47 years as guardians of the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall, the Friends has been a steadfast and vocal advocate for the protection and enhancement of our three treasured parks.  As an influential and respected voice on issues as diverse as the impact of shadows on urban horticulture to the conservation of sculpture, we have served as balanced advocates for the long-term health of the parks and their ability to serve the broadest community of users. We also work in coalition with other greenspace advocates to speak out on critical city-wide parks issues, including the need for adequate Parks Department funding, and to elevate the status of open space among elected officials and policy makers.

The City’s limited resources have always required the support of the private sector to bridge the gap between what is possible with public funding alone and what the parks need and deserve to reach their full potential.

As the most heavily used park in the city and the center stage of Boston’s civic life, the Common sees a great deal more use than care by the City. In order to stem the inevitable deterioration resulting from such heavy usage, we advocate for:

• sufficient City funding for the Parks Department’s operations and capital budgets;
• protection of sunlight to allow for healthy horticulture by monitoring new developments

and their addition of shadows to the parks;

• adherence to the City’s Boston Common Management Plan which sets guidelines to manage event use; and
• creation of a fairgrounds in Boston to host multi-day events not well suited to the Common.